On my way to the grocery store today (you remember me, I’m the weirdo who actually loves to go grocery shopping!), I had to cross the railroad tracks. I always, always, slow down and look both ways before I go over these tracks. It’s in a fairly high traffic area, and I’ve always noticed that most people don’t stop. There are bars that come down and bells that ring when the bars lower, but I never like to trust my safety to that mechanism. So, I slow down and look. I think there’s probably 15 or 20 trains that come flying through here on a daily basis.
I actually had the person behind me blow at me today! I guess they were in a big hurry, and I, of course, was not. I looked in my rearview mirror and the guy had thrown up his hands, I guess to say, hurry up lady, you’re slowing me down. I got a little aggravated. I mean, after all, isn’t it the law to slow down at railroad crossings? I know I see school buses do it. I always do it. But apparently most people do not.
I have tons of pet peeves about driving and other drivers (tailgating, people texting or talking on their cell phone, women applying makeup while driving, people pulling out slowly and making me slam on my brakes, etc. The list goes on and on!) Normally this is not one of them, railroad crossings, but today it got on my nerves. Or at least that other driver got on my nerves with his reaction.
So, let me know if you fly over railroad crossings, trusting that the bars and bells will come down to stop you if a train is coming. Or let me know if you’re like me and slow down before you go over them. I guess I really am turning out to be a little ole grandma kind of driver!
It’s funny, I hadn’t thought about the fact that we don’t have trains around here until you posted this. Odd. But, when I was in Memphis I would usually go my normal speed over the tracks, unless I needed to slow down because it was particularly bumpy or something. I was very trusting in those gates…
Hi Stacy! I was almost hit by a train once – tracks on the way to my parents where I hadn’t encountered a train in years. My sister and I were driving and it kind of freaked us out. I don’t think they had any mechanized warning system, it was way out in the country. Luckily we had slowed to a stop or we would have been in trouble. To this day, I slow down at RR crossings!
It bothers me too when people are rude and impatient while driving!
We live around a few railroad tracks ourselves, and I’m always cautious when going over them. We live so close to one track, in fact, that it sometimes shakes our house!
Also, I *LOVE* to grocery shop!!!!
I can’t remember the last time I went over train tracks. I don’t think there are any around here. Do I, did I, should I stop and look? Yes, I think I did stop at train tracks and look and yes, you should.
My pet peeve with drivers – other than the talking on the phone and not looking where they’re going – is when they pull out from a side street in front of you and then just creep along, making you slam on the brakes.
I never slow down, but I know what you mean. I’m always a bit wary.
I always slow down and look both ways. Train tracks make me nervous. That and lightening!
I slow down, too.
I don’t really slow down but I don’t blame you for wanting to do so. Grocery shopping is fun until the total shows up on the register! Feeding 3 teenage boys is costly at our home. LOL
I always slow down. We have several different train tracks around here both for commercial trains and for passenger train service. I do not want to be in an accident not the cause of one. Better safe than sorry. I like grocery shopping when money is no object!
Well, to be honest, I am one of the fly byers! I do trust the arms but I don’t know why. I certainly wouldn’t be getting mad at someone in front of me slowing down though! We have lots of tracks around here and it can be aggravating when it’s a long train! I love when they go through right at a heavy commuting time!
I’m like you, I don’t like driving fast and when we lived in Idaho we had railroad tracks and I always slowed down.
I somewhat trust the bells and whistles, but still think slowing down and being alert is the wise thing to do. There’ve been too many ‘accidentall’ train crossing mishaps not to. The people in a hurry behind me will just have to get mad and be about 15 seconds late… I’d rather be alive.
Our train tracks are on a rise, so you really don’t have much of a choice about slowing down. If you don’t, you’ll ruin your car!
It really depends on which one, and how much you can see and stuff like that. But cautious is much safer!
I slow down too, especially if you can’t see much down the tracks……some places here in the delta you can see for miles down the tracks before you get there. We don’t like to trust those gates totally. And how rude of that guy! What did that do, slow him down like 5 seconds? That’s not enough to get upset over!
We have a train just a few blocks away that is in a pretty rural area. I don’t blast over it, but I don’t stop before crossing. I slow down and look both ways and go. A family from our old church was hit by the train years ago. One child died, the dad was severely affected as was a younger son. I always think about that.
I have to go over one everyday to and from work and yes I do slow down. I don’t trust the bells and the bars and plus one reason for me is flying over them is bumpy so why not slow down just a little. Please I’m also like you about the pet peeves. My biggest one is putting make up on while you’re driving, and it never fails I’ll get behind someone going to work putting make up on, brushing their hair and I’m already running late to begin with!
Have a great weekend!
There is a track or two across a bypass through town and I must say I’ve never slowed down. Although the train is going extremely slow at those points so even if the gates weren’t working you’d be able to see them and stop. And they always blow their whistles when coming up to intersections around here.
It depends on which set of tracks I’m crossing. Some of the tracks in our area only have a few trains or none, but others are busier. I generally slow down some and try to look at the busier ones. Plus a lot of tracks are on little hills and can be a very bumpy ride if you don’t slow down.
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